The ongoing feud between drivers and bicyclists (which exists almost as if one is never the other) often ends up as little more than the ceremonial hurling of allegations that the “other” is pretty bad at their mode of transportation.

Are drivers worse than bicyclists or are bicyclists worse than drivers when it comes to obeying the laws of the road?

Neither.

“We’re all criminals,” says Wesley Marshall, an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado.

He found that the rates of infractions are about the same for both drivers and bicyclists and that they are motivated by the same thing.

“They’re not trying to be reckless or rude,” Marshall said. “Cyclists, they’re doing it for their own personal safety or perceived safety. They felt like they’re more visible.”

On a transportation grid designed with cars in mind, Marshall says cyclists are acting on what they perceive is better for their safety. It is a rational choice in a cyclist’s decision-making, he said. At a red light with no other cars crossing, a cyclist can get a head start on the next block.

“It’s interesting that you would break the law to feel safer,” Marshall says.

A city with a great deal of mass transit is expected to be a lot safer than a typical driving city, Marshall says. But cities with lots of bicyclists, which you might think would be more dangerous, are in reality much safer.

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started several blogs, and every day laments that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

NewsCut is a blog featuring observations about the news. It provides a forum for an online discussion and debate about events that might not typically make the front page. NewsCut posts are not news stories.